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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
I've never seen the movie and I've only seen the occasional episode of the series so I did have much to base off. I was definitely picturing actors from the show but I have no idea if I was picturing the correct people. Almost certainly not since I hear they didn't carry over several characters... at least not in the same form.
Having finished that audiobook, I'm watching Good Morning, Vietnam. What the hell am I doing with my life?
Having finished that audiobook, I'm watching Good Morning, Vietnam. What the hell am I doing with my life?
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did not finish. I got about a third in and thought, "Is there ever going to be a coherent plotline or is this just a collection of amusing vignettes?" Turns out it's the latter, and while the vignettes are amusing, I'd rather read something with a little more substance. Probably Catch-22, which I found myself wanting to read instead of this.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Extended sections about Golf and Football? Casual Sexism/Racism/Homophobia? An obsession with drinking and smoking? A total lack of concern about the reasons for the war itself? This truly is the most boomer of books!
More seriously, this book is weird. It's a work of fiction, but one heavily inspired by and drawing from the real time the author spent in Korea doing the same job as the same character (who is also kinda a self insert seemingly). Given the chaotic pacing, heavy focus on the technical details of surgery, and a poor grasp of prose, the fact that this was written by a Doctor who hadn't done much writing before makes alot of sense. It also helps explain why the books after this one didn't work out- Hooker just isn't much of a writer himself.
However, what elevates MASH is the fact that it really feels drawn from experience, to some extent. The humorous diatribes of the Swampmen, as unreal and goofy as they are, are mixed with a frequently brutal sense of the war that the characters have to directly deal with on a daily basis. There isn't a driving story here, just like there wouldn't have been during the war- it's just a set of experiences, gained by people forced to live together, and then it all ends before you know it.
The last chapter pulls this together, I think. The Swampmen are forced to separate as their enlistments run up, and it doesn't feel triumphant or satisfying per se: it feels sad. We've spent so much time with this group that even with the aforementioned casual racism/sexism/homophobia it's hard not to have a connection, and to see that split is a little tragedy. For 18 months Duke and Hawkeye wanted nothing more then to leave, and even in the midst of pulling off yet another caper they realize that now that they have left they can never go back.
While this wasn't a book I particularly enjoyed (the boomer vibes where just too much for me), I can see how this spawned the movie and critically acclaimed TV show, which really hold onto that unique mix of tones.
More seriously, this book is weird. It's a work of fiction, but one heavily inspired by and drawing from the real time the author spent in Korea doing the same job as the same character (who is also kinda a self insert seemingly). Given the chaotic pacing, heavy focus on the technical details of surgery, and a poor grasp of prose, the fact that this was written by a Doctor who hadn't done much writing before makes alot of sense. It also helps explain why the books after this one didn't work out- Hooker just isn't much of a writer himself.
However, what elevates MASH is the fact that it really feels drawn from experience, to some extent. The humorous diatribes of the Swampmen, as unreal and goofy as they are, are mixed with a frequently brutal sense of the war that the characters have to directly deal with on a daily basis. There isn't a driving story here, just like there wouldn't have been during the war- it's just a set of experiences, gained by people forced to live together, and then it all ends before you know it.
The last chapter pulls this together, I think. The Swampmen are forced to separate as their enlistments run up, and it doesn't feel triumphant or satisfying per se: it feels sad. We've spent so much time with this group that even with the aforementioned casual racism/sexism/homophobia it's hard not to have a connection, and to see that split is a little tragedy. For 18 months Duke and Hawkeye wanted nothing more then to leave, and even in the midst of pulling off yet another caper they realize that now that they have left they can never go back.
While this wasn't a book I particularly enjoyed (the boomer vibes where just too much for me), I can see how this spawned the movie and critically acclaimed TV show, which really hold onto that unique mix of tones.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you know me in real life, it's common knowledge that one of my favorite shows is M*A*S*H and has been since 2012. And for years, I knew it was based on a movie (I've seen most of it and didn't really like it at the time) which is turn was based on this book. My love for the television series aside, I enjoyed the original work. There were numerous moments that had me laughing, and it was interesting to learn about a character (Duke) who I previously knew nothing about. I was surprised at how little Hots Lips and Frank Burns featured in the book, and think the movie and series were smart for capitalizing on their characters. The jabs at people from Mississippi and Alabama—or the South in general—being ignorant did wear on me after a while, though. The writing was pretty sub par, but M*A*S*H was something I appreciated not for the style it was written in, but the story of these three men forced to make the best of a difficult situation.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes